


A Robe Full of Surprises

by strangeallure



Series: Hermione Granger and the Spirit of Purim [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Fanart, Gen, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Secrets, all your faves are jewish, oh to be young and at hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29664366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeallure/pseuds/strangeallure
Summary: Swallowing a forkful of eggs, Ron awkwardly pulled something from his robes, shoving it at Hermione. “Here,” he said without looking at her.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley
Series: Hermione Granger and the Spirit of Purim [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179872
Comments: 12
Kudos: 9
Collections: All Your Faves Are Jewish, Purimgifts 2021





	A Robe Full of Surprises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starfishstar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starfishstar/gifts).



> There's food in this part, so I made you a collage with some of the most beautiful hamantashen I've ever seen.

Hermione was sitting at their usual place in the Great Hall, serving herself a sensible, nutritious breakfast. A few minutes later, Harry and Ron stormed in, plopping heavily into their seats and heaping overly sweet and greasy foods onto their plates.

Swallowing a forkful of eggs, Ron awkwardly pulled something from his robes, shoving it at Hermione. “Here,” he said without looking at her.

It was a battered cardboard container filled with several small items. At first look, Hermione identified two small boxes of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, a Chocolate Frog, a bag of Sneeze Tea, a tiny kaleidoscope and a gaudy figurine of a dragon.

“What is this?” she asked.

“My mum sent me a package,” he mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes, “told me to share with you.”

Hermione tilted the container a little, still confused. She certainly liked Ron’s mum, but Mrs Weasley had never sent her any gifts before.

“I want a Chocolate Frog, too,” Harry complained.

Ron made a dismissive gesture. “Mum didn’t say anything about you.”

“Well,” Hermione remembered her manners and straightened her back, “tell your mum _thank you_ from me.”

Ron nodded and smiled at his remaining pancakes.

\--

A few hours later, Hermione and Ron were sitting in the courtyard while Harry was at Quidditch practice. The day was unseasonably warm, and Hermione enjoyed getting some fresh air while doing her homework, rewarding herself with the occasional Every Flavour Bean.

Ron leaned in close. “Did you know Crispin McDougall’s family lost _everything_ in a betting scandal?” he asked conspiratorially, as if anyone in the wizarding world could have missed the news the Daily Prophet had been screaming about for months – sometimes literally. “Must be hard. His robes look worse for wear than mine,” Ron said sheepishly. “I’d reckon he’d like some Every Flavor Beans, too.”

Hermione hummed noncommittally, turning the page of her charms book.

“Maybe you could share yours?”

“What?” She shot him an incredulous look. “You want me to give away your mum’s gift to a boy I don’t even know?”

“No, no,” Ron tried to placate her. “Not give away, just – share.”

She huffed impatiently. “And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“If I share with poor Crispin, the very least you can do is share with him, too.”

Ron’s mouth puckered as if he’d just happened upon one of the infamous urinal cake flavored beans, but then he started rummaging inside his robes, spreading out the contents of its many inside pockets. A crumpled handkerchief, more candy wrappers than could be healthy, a ballpoint pen Hermione had given him ages ago, and an unopened pack of Quidditch trading cards, his most recent obsession.

A pained expression crossed Ron’s face before he picked up the cards and said, “I don’t have any candy on me, but these should do, right?”

Hermione nodded and grabbed her remaining box of Every Flavour Beans as she got up.

\--

After supper that evening, Ron retrieved a large egg from his sleeve. His robes seemed to be full of surprises today.

“Look,” he said excitedly, “I learned how to turn this into a songbird.”

He took out his wand and did the spell with an unexpected amount of patience and precision, and the egg quickly morphed into a yellow-breasted robin with ruffled feathers. When Ron tipped its beak with his wand, the bird started vocalizing quietly.

Harry snorted. “Sorry, Ron, but that doesn’t sound like any bird I’ve ever heard.” It wasn’t the kindest thing to say, but he wasn’t wrong. The voice was too quiet, and while there was something melodic about it, it didn’t really sound like birdsong.

Ron rolled his eyes. “If you want to listen to real birds, just go outside,” he said dismissively before looking at Hermione with an expectant expression.

“I like it,” she said. “Nice spell work.”

They started playing a game of cards, the bird going on quietly in the background, and something about it kept niggling at the back of Hermione’s mind. It took her a few minutes, but finally, recognition set in, and the pieces of Ron’s unusual behavior today slid into place.

Later, when they were on their way to the dorms and Harry was talking to one of his teammates, Hermione took the opportunity to pull Ron into one of Hogwarts’ many alcoves.

“That bird recited the Megillah,” she said without preamble.

Ron swallowed thickly. “Yes?”

“And we gave the sweets and trading cards to Crispin because he’s poor now,” she continued.

Ron nodded.

“Did your mum really send you a package?”

Ron scratched at his neck, clearly uncomfortable. “Not recently,” he hedged.

Hermione found herself blinking against an unexpected stinging in her eyes. “So you tried to give me Purim.” It wasn’t a question.

Ron had gone from scratching to rubbing and made an affirmative sound.

“How did you even know?”

“I looked it up,” he said, and the thought of Ron Weasley going to the library without the pressure of a class assignment almost made her laugh.

She wanted to ask him more. _What book did you use? Where did you get the spell for the Megillah bird? Why do it so secretively?_

She wanted to tell him more, too. About how goofy her parents got when they had too much wine during seudah, how her aunt made the best hamantashen, and how her bubbe always found the gaudiest, most sparkly wrapping paper for the mishloah manot, but before she could, Harry interrupted them.

“What are you two doing?” he said, giving them a look over the rim of his glasses.

“I tried to get Hermione’s herbology homework,” Ron said after a short pause, “but you know how she is.”

Harry shook his head like Ron should really know better by now.

Before they parted ways to climb up to their respective dorms, Hermione briefly grabbed Ron’s arm and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you,” she said quietly.


End file.
